Feasting and offering to the Gods in early Greek sanctuaries: Monumentalisation and miniaturisation in pottery

Observable trends in well dated pottery contexts from early Greek sanctuaries—Apollo Daphnephoros at Eretria, on Euboia, the Agamemnoneion at Mycenae, the sanctuary of Athena Alea at Tegea, the sanctuary of Artemis at Lousoi, and one at Sane at Pallene (Chalkidiki)—have shown a significant change in cult praxis at the turn of the eighth century BCE. Until then, some offerings dedicated by pilgrims consisted of monumental or normal sized kraters, hydriai, pyxides, some of which—from the Early Archaic period—were partially replaced by masses of miniature pottery. Archaeological data shows that from the early seventh century onwards, potters produced miniature versions of monumental and normal sized vessels, which aristocratic pilgrims had used for feasting and as offerings to the gods during the Late Geometric period (760-700).Des contextes de poterie, datés avec précision, du sanctuaire d’Apollon Daphnéphoros à Érétrie, de l’Agamemnoneion à Mycènes, du sanctuaire d’Aléa Athéna à Tégée, du sanctuaire d’Artémis à Lousoi, et du sanctuaire à Sane (Pallene, Chalkidiki) révèlent un changement significatif des pratiques cultuelles au tournant du viiie siècle av. J.-C. Les vases ornementaux ou de grandeur nature offerts jusque-là par les pélerins commencent à être remplacés par de la poterie miniature au début de l’époque archaïque hâtive. À partir du début du viie siècle, les potiers produisent des versions miniatures de vases monumentaux ou de grandeur nature qui avaient servi d’offrandes ou pour des festins durant la période géométrique tardive (760-700 av. J.-C.)

Radiocarbon dating the Greek Protogeometric and Geometric periods: The evidence of Sindos

Mediterranean Early Iron Age chronology was mainly constructed by means of Greek Proto-geometric and Geometric ceramic wares, which are widely used for chronological correlations with the Aegean. However, Greek Early Iron Age chronology that is exclusively based on historical evidence in the eastern Mediterranean as well as in the contexts of Greek colonisation in Sicily has not yet been tested by extended series of radiocarbon dates from welldated stratified contexts in the Aegean. Due to the high chronological resolution that is only achievable by (metric-scale) stratigraphic C-14-age-depth modelling, the analysis of 21 C-14-AMS dates on stratified animal bones from Sindos (northern Greece) shows results that immediately challenge the conventional Greek chronology. Based on pottery-style comparisons with other sites, the new dates for Sindos not only indicate a generally higher Aegean Early Iron Age chronology, but also imply the need for a revised understanding of the Greek periodisation system that will foreseeably have a major impact on our understanding of Greek and Mediterranean history

An interdisciplinary approach to Iron Age Mediterranean chronology through combined archaeological and 14C-radiometric evidence from Sidon, Lebanon.

The construction of the Iron Age Mediterranean chronology began in the Levant based on historical evidence and has been additionally supported in recent decades by means of radiocarbon analysis, although with variable precision and ratification. It is only in recent years that new evidence in the Aegean and the western Mediterranean has opened discussion towards its further acceptance as an authoritative i.e. highly reliable, and widely applicable historiographic network. Altogether, the Mediterranean Iron Age chronology has only undergone minor changes during the last hundred years. The Phoenician metropolis of Sidon in southern Lebanon now provides a new, large and robust dataset obtained through a combination of archaeological and 14C-radiometric analysis of materials from stratified contexts that allow their statistical assessment. The appearance of substantial amounts of pottery of Greek, Cypriot and Egyptian origin together with Phoenician local wares in a long stratigraphy is a benefit for the synchronisation of regional pottery styles and allows wider geographic correlation of relative chronological systems. The close association of the archaeological data with a long series of AMS-14C-dates on short-lived samples provides new evidence for the absolute dating of many of the regional pottery styles that are represented in the stratigraphy of Sidon, and contributes towards a considerable improvement of the Mediterranean chronology

An interdisciplinary approach to Iron Age Mediterranean chronology through combined archaeological and 14C-radiometric evidence from Sidon, Lebanon

The construction of the Iron Age Mediterranean chronology began in the Levant based on historical evidence and has been additionally supported in recent decades by means of radiocarbon analysis, although with variable precision and ratification. It is only in recent years that new evidence in the Aegean and the western Mediterranean has opened discussion towards its further acceptance as an authoritative i.e. highly reliable, and widely applicable historiographic network. Altogether, the Mediterranean Iron Age chronology has only undergone minor changes during the last hundred years. The Phoenician metropolis of Sidon in southern Lebanon now provides a new, large and robust dataset obtained through a combination of archaeological and 14C-radiometric analysis of materials from stratified contexts that allow their statistical assessment. The appearance of substantial amounts of pottery of Greek, Cypriot and Egyptian origin together with Phoenician local wares in a long stratigraphy is a benefit for the synchronisation of regional pottery styles and allows wider geographic correlation of relative chronological systems. The close association of the archaeological data with a long series of AMS-14C-dates on short-lived samples provides new evidence for the absolute dating of many of the regional pottery styles that are represented in the stratigraphy of Sidon, and contributes towards a considerable improvement of the Mediterranean chronology

The Gods of Small Things

Pallas innove. Pour la première fois dans la longue histoire de la revue, nous publions un numéro entièrement en langue étrangère, en anglais en l’occurrence. C’est là un choix éditorial fort du comité scientifique de la revue qui, sur proposition de Jean-Marc Luce, professeur d’archéologie grecque à l’université de Toulouse 2-Le Mirail, a accepté d’accueillir les actes d’un colloque original par sa thématique, les petits objets et les miniatures de l’Antiquité, souvent des objets à vocation religieuse, qui s’est tenu à l’université de Reading, au Royaume-Uni, les 21 et 22 septembre 2009. Depuis de nombreuses années maintenant, la revue Pallas a ouvert ses pages aux enseignants-chercheurs et chercheurs étrangers, européens pour la plupart, auxquels la possibilité de publier leurs travaux dans leur langue a été donnée (anglais, italien, allemand et espagnol). Évolution logique pour une revue qui a toujours eu pour vocation de promouvoir la recherche en Sciences de l’Antiquité dans toute leur diversité, thématique et, désormais, géographique, et toute leur complémentarité - histoire, histoire de l’art, archéologie, philologie classique. Le présent numéro en est une nouvelle illustration. Christian Rico Directeur de Palla